The "No Change" scam

I've had that a few times. A taxi driver pouted at me for asking for the change. I would have given him the change if he hadn't tried to rip me off at  the beginning of the taxi ride. It's annoying but definitely happens a lot more in the touristy areas. I've been trying to avoid them like the plague now.

Oh yes! I use GrabBike a lot and I'm always careful to carry the correct change, or ask them if they have change BEFORE we start our trip.
   
I've been here since TET 2016 and from my experience this is common practice in Vietnam.

It is common practice in Vietnam and not only because the person you are paying is trying to rip you off. It also happens because taxi drivers and similar suppliers are simply too idle to go and get change.

I also encountered the practice at immigration in Kathmandu, Nepal, where the immigration officer took my 100 USD bill as payment for a 20 USD visa and waved me away, saying "no change no change".  I retrieved my100 USD bill and gave him a 20 USD bill, before he had time to change his scam to the "you only gave me a 20 USD bill" scam.

Yes, it's very common. Honest drivers ask you to wait while they go and find change.

One friend minimises the problem by going into the bank and changing all his large notes from the ATM into 20k notes. Personally, carrying a wad of 20k notes around would drive me nuts, but it works for him.

If you make the same trip regularly either by grab bike or Taxi then you will have an idea of the price so just plan ahead and make sure you have small bills to pay with... but yes some drivers do try it on... most though are decent folk..

Most of taxi drivers using that technical with both foreigner and local passenger. If you do noe have a change, asking them go to change cash around and you wating inside the car. I am sure they will have a change inside other pockets. This is my effective experience.

Oh yes - in Thailand. and with a private (unlicensed) "taxi", I had a bastard drive off without giving me the change. the fare had been agreed upon in advance. 400 THB from Uttaradit to Pitchai, at like 2 am.

In Hanoi, a fake "motorcycle taxi" driver actually attempted to mug me at the end of the journey. He had picked me up outside a hospital (got permission to return in the morning for treatment. At the ward, homeless people would come at night and sleep in vacant beds )

He grabbed the banknotes out of my open wallet. But I fought and he grinned idiotically and was oblivious to an old woman witnessing the whole thing.

Bus conductors: one guy demanded 500,000 VND from HA LONG to MY DINH! Another guy overcharged me by 50,000 d...